The effect of BIM in AEC education - an empirical study : master thesis No.: /II. GR-BIM

Correa, Sara Dotta (author), Turk, Žiga (mentor)

The purpose of the thesis is to investigate if and how Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been affecting university level architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) education around the world. It is based on theoretical scenarios from literature for BIM’s impact. A survey was conducted among the community of professors and researchers involved with BIM/IT, which were contacted by email. 921 invitations were sent, and 125 replies received from 6 continents but most from North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to a questionnaire comprising of 20 questions in Google Forms, interview with selected respondents were conducted via videoconference. We are finding that even though there are many challenges, BIM has indeed already transformed education, prompting a reevaluation of how interdisciplinary knowledge is integrated and enhancing students' preparedness for collaborative work in the AEC industry. Also, there's a deliberate effort to steer away from framing BIM as a mere toolkit or niche expertise. Instead, the focus is on fostering an understanding of BIM as a holistic concept that involves process optimization, and effective information management. Based on the scenarios for BIM's impact, the survey reveals the prevalence of simpler scenarios: (scenario 1) incorporating BIM into education as modeling tools, (scenario 2) the improvement of construction management methods and (scenario 3) to the integration of BIM tools within specific course contexts. Moreover, the respondents have identified the need for overcoming technical barriers, promoting real-time practical experience, improving collaboration between disciplines, and highlighting the broader importance of BIM principles beyond just software tools, thus highlighting BIM as a tool that breaks down the professional silos not just in construction engineering practice but in education as well.

• Language: English
• Keywords: civil engineering, master thesis, BIM, AEC education, survey, integration
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [Correa, S. D.]
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: XVI, 72 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-150475-489d5227-ea57-476a-a09b-fb9bba098973
• UDC: 004.946:378-027.5(043.3)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 185883395
• Publication date in RUL: 19.09.2023

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Učinek BIM v AEC izobraževanju - empirična študija : magistrsko delo

Abstract

Namen naloge je raziskati, ali in kako informacijsko modeliranje zgradb (BIM) vpliva na univerzitetno izobraževanje na področju arhitekture, inženirstva in gradbeništva (AEC) po svetu. Temelji na teoretičnih scenarijih iz literature o vplivu BIMa na izobraževanje. Med skupnostjo profesorjev in raziskovalcev, ki se ukvarjajo z BIM, je bila izvedena anketa. Po elektronski pošti je bilo poslanih 921 vabil, prejetih pa 125 odgovorov s šestih celin, vendar največ iz Severne Amerike, Evrope in Azije. Poleg vprašalnika, sestavljenega iz 20 vprašanj v obrazcih Google Forms, je bil z izbranimi anketiranci opravljen intervju prek videokonference. Ugotavljamo, da je BIM kljub številnim izzivom dejansko že preoblikoval izobraževanje, kar je spodbudilo ponovno ovrednotenje načina vključevanja interdisciplinarnega znanja in izboljšalo pripravljenost študentov na skupno delo v industriji AEC. Poleg tega si učitelji zavestno prizadevajo, da se BIM ne bi obravnaval zgolj kot nabor orodij ali nišno strokovno znanje ampak šiše. Poudarek je na spodbujanju razumevanja BIM kot celostnega koncepta, ki vključuje optimizacijo procesov in učinkovito upravljanje informacij. Na podlagi scenarijev vpliva BIM je raziskava pokazala, da prevladujejo preprostejši scenariji: (scenarij 1) vključitev BIM v izobraževanje kot orodja za modeliranje, (scenarij 2) izboljšanje metod upravljanja gradnje in (scenarij 3) vključitev orodij BIM v posebne kontekste predmetov. Poleg tega so anketiranci opredelili potrebo po premagovanju tehničnih ovir, spodbujanju praktičnih izkušenj v realnem času, izboljšanju sodelovanja med disciplinami in poudarjanju širšega pomena načel BIM, ne le programskih orodij. S tem so poudarili BIM kot orodje, ki odpravlja strokovne silose ne le v gradbeni inženirski praksi, temveč tudi v izobraževanju.

• Keywords: gradbeništvo, magistrska dela, GR, BIM A+, izobraževanje, AEC, anketa, integracija